AHMEDABAD: In a major breakthrough, the forest department has arrested four persons from Bhavnagar, who had harassed a lion cub by chasing it for a long distance in their car.

The video of the chase had gone viral on social media, leaving the wildlife lovers incensed.

They were identified as Utpal Pandya, Devang, Parthiv and Brijesh while another person Lakhan Mer, who had facilitated their illegal lion show near Visavadar inJunagadh, was identified. They were working as medical representatives in Bhavnagar.

Chief conservator of forest AP Singhsaid that the state cyber-crime cell was roped in neither the faces of the accused nor the car number was available. They were only heard speaking in Gujarati.

"We began backward tracing of the origin of the video and rounded up one youth in Bhavnagar. The man broke down during interrogation and narrated the entire episode," said Singh.

The four chased the lion cub till it escaped into the dark.

The arrested persons told the forest department that they were afraid of chasing the cub at a high speed, but Mer a resident of Javaladi (Badak) inKankari Kunj, asked them to try and go as close as possible to the cub so that they could take a proper video.

The four had gone for their officials work and then Mer was their local contact who took them in the fields to show lion.

Ramkumar, additional principal chief conservator of forest said, "There was no lead and hence with the help of cyber officials we traced the origin of the video. The department wants to set such examples so that desist from such harassment of lions and illegal shows."